#Musingz4life

Are You Extinguishing the Flaming Arrows or Holy Spirit?

If some men in the Bible were referred to as “full of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 6:3), this implies that not everyone has the same measure of the Spirit. In fact, you can actually extinguish the Holy Spirit after you become a Christian.

Do not quench/stifle/extinguish the Holy Spirit. – 1 Thessalonians 5:19 (I extracted 3 different verbs from various translations)

This command suggests that the presence of the Holy Spirit can fade away to the point that you no longer recognize His voice.

“Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you are unable to accept my message.” – John 8:43

Definitions:

Quench – to subdue, destroy or overcome

Stifle – to suppress, curb, withhold, crush, or end by force

Extinguish – to put out, bring to an end, annihilate, obscure, eclipse, wipe out of existence

Before extinguishing the Holy Spirit, ask yourself if you are currently grieving the Spirit:

Do not grieve the Holy Spirit, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. – Ephesians 4:30

What does it mean to grieve the Holy Spirit?

The mind of the flesh is death but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace. – Romans 8:6 (Berean Study Bible Version)

Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on things of the Spirit. The mind of the flesh is death but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind of the flesh is hostile to God: it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so… Romans 8:5-7

Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation – but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. – Romans 8:12-13

Let me just say first of all that living to please God is not easy. Obedience to the scriptures requires supernatural help, but that’s why God gave us the Holy Spirit to help us when we are weak. Obeying God begins with the mind; if you set your mind on pleasing God, the Holy Spirit will help you obey Him (which is why you put to death the misdeeds by the Spirit). Have you ever felt that battle between your flesh and spirit, when you know you want to do what’s right but you do wrong anyway? That is the classic struggle as described in Romans 7:7-12. God understands our human nature. But He always provides a way out of temptation and His Spirit enables you to obey the scriptures which go against the human grain.

Day by day, you have a choice – to live according to the flesh or to crucify your sinful nature. Every day, you can choose to build upon the foundation of the Spirit or you can slowly extinguish the Spirit with your actions. Every choice comes with a consequence:

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” – Galatians 6:7-8

We are caught in the midst of a spiritual battlefield, and Satan wants your soul. Until the day you die, he will continually fire flaming arrows at you, especially in the areas where he knows you’re weak. You can shield yourself from the devil’s arrows with your faith:

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. – Ephesians 6:16

It is with your faith that you can extinguish the devil’s flaming arrows — not just some of the arrows but ALL of the arrows!

How can you get more faith?

“Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word about Christ.” – Romans 10:17

Keep feeding your faith instead of your doubts. Keep digging into the Word, study out topics, ask lots and lots of questions, and surround yourself with people who will help you grow spiritually.